Poor Hugh Blake. It’s not really his fault; he’s just a young player trying to seize an opportunity, but his name and new status have stirred up a hornet’s nest.

National eligibility is back on the agenda again, because it is in disrepute again. A mockery is being made of the spirit and concept of international sport.

This column has repeatedly raged at a system which is too easily abused, but nothing has been done so the rage goes on.

Hugh Blake in New Zealand colours but Vern Cotter has included him in Scotland's squad

Cotter's decision to include Blake in the Six Nations team has raised some eyebrows

Blake has been picked in Scotland’s Six Nations squad.

The Kiwi flanker has Scottish grandparents, so he is a legitimate recruit to the tartan cause – now overseen by another New Zealander, Vern Cotter.

But what feels so wrong in the case of this 22-year-old openside is that he has barely stepped off the plane from Auckland and has yet to even play a senior game for Edinburgh. His promotion comes at the expense of two established stalwarts of the pack, Kelly Brown and John Barclay.

It invokes grim memories from yester-year of the ‘Kilted Kiwis’ and, in particular, Brendan Laney’s indecently hurried integration into the Scotland squad. He had barely cleared customs, whereas at least Blake has been around for a month or so before earning the country’s call.

But the news of his inclusion provoked a social-media storm. Former Scotland captain Andy Nicol tweeted: ‘Can anyone tell me anything about Hugh Blake please? Not played for Edinburgh but picked for Scotland? I thought we had left these days long ago!’

Kelly Brown is one of the players to miss out on the Scotland squad while Blake has been included

John Barclay (left) was another who has missed out at the expense of Blake

In a sense, the fact that Blake is an unknown quantity is a red herring. What jars is that he has not served his time in the Scottish system before being earning Test recognition.

The same can be said for Gareth Anscombe in Wales, but he has managed to play a handful of matches for the Blues before being picked to represent the land of his mother.

Let’s be clear; coaches who work the system and players who chase the international dream far from home are not the ones at fault here. Those who run the game must make it harder to turn the swearing of allegiance to a shirt and a flag into a business decision.

The powers-that-be have to defend the concept of nation versus nation, to stop it becoming a soulless contest between scouting networks and recruitment programmes.

The way it’s going, why bother having Test rugby at all if it is destined to become a variation on the club game, where overseas players can be lured for the right price and the promise of elite-level exposure. If most teams are eventually multi-national, the whole point of the exercise has been lost.

In its true form, international rugby is the pinnacle of the game but it is vital that it retains identity and integrity, even in an era when migration is so prevalent. World Rugby – formerly the IRB – can start with some simple but effective measures.

The period for residency qualification should be extended from three to five years. In addition, family ties to another country should have residency requirements attached, so having a grandparent from that country reduces the qualification period to three years, and it could go down to one year if the link is provided by a parent.

That way, a Blake-type scenario would be averted. A player should spend time – at least a modest amount – in the place that they wish to represent. That would give some credence to their inevitable claims to share the same passion for the country as the people they expect to support them.

Wales coach Warren Gatland should be quite relaxed this weekend but his England counterpart, Stuart Lancaster, is likely to spend two tense days hiding behind the sofa, dreading more bad news.

The exit from the European Champions Cup by Ospreys and Scarlets will please Warren Gatland

But for England boss Stuart Lancaster, most of his side will be involved in the next games

The demise of the two Welsh sides in the European Champions Cup, the Ospreys and Scarlets – allied to the fact that the Blues and Dragons are in the less-intense Challenge Cup – means that Gatland’s leading men have more chance of emerging unscathed from the pool-stage finale.

Some can be rested and certain exiles in France simply won’t be selected, which helps subsequent Test preparations in Cardiff.

Lancaster, meanwhile, knows that the vast majority of his squad will be involved in blood-and-thunder, high-stakes encounters.

Clermont Auvergne v Saracens stands out, as does Northampton v Racing Metro. Leicester’s trip to Ulster is bound to be explosive, Bath have a win-or-bust revenge mission against Glasgow and Wasps square up to perennial challengers Leinster.

Not much scope for taking it easy before the Test business ahead. The threat of further English casualties before their trip to the Welsh capital is worrying high.

The vibrant transfer market continues to produce some fascinating moves.

Player traffic between the major East Midlands clubs is a rare phenomenon, which makes Jamie Gibson’s decision to join Northampton from arch rivals Leicester so eye-catching.

The athletic flanker has been outstanding for the Tigers this season but he has opted to sign for the champions – the bitter enemy – which will be a sore point at Welford Road.

It also increases the prospects of the injury-plagued Lion, Tom Croft, earning a new Leicester deal, now that his younger challenger has opted to depart.

Gibson can certainly expect a lively reception on and off the field when he returns in Saints colours next season.

Meanwhile, London Irish yesterday announced the capture of Lions wing Sean Maitland from Glasgow, while Gavin Henson is destined to join Bristol from neighbours Bath, as first reported by Sportsmail.

Gavin Henson is set to depart from Bath and join neighbours Bristol

It won’t be long before Bristol will be able to field an entirely Welsh XV. In fact, they should apply for WRU funding, as an unofficial fifth region…

Yoann Huget has received a warning from EPRC, the governing body for European club rugby, for his shameful dive during Toulouse’s match against Bath last weekend.

For those who missed it, a mild shove to the chest prompted the France wing to slump to the ground in theatrical fashion and lie there clutching his face.

It was an appalling attempt to trick referee George Clancy into awarding his struggling team a penalty and was rightly ignored.

Huget later apologised but, as previously highlighted by this column, the spectre of so-called ‘simulation’ continues to creep into rugby and must be stamped out with gusto.

Yoann Huget (second left) goes down holding his face despite being pushed in the chest

Encouragingly, the RPA responded by acknowledging the growing trend for ‘play- acting’, with chairman Christian Day saying: ‘What we don’t want is a player to go down clutching his face, and a player to be sent off only for the replay to show he was play-acting. That’s when rugby’s reputation will go out the window.’

If the players’ own union is so alert to the danger, there is every hope it can be repelled.

Last Word – The continuing saga of Manu Tuilagi’s blighted quest for fitness is becoming a concern and is having a major impact on the outlook for his club and his country.

Leicester and England need their midfield wrecking ball. Without him, neither side are as effective. Such is the scale of Tuilagi’s attacking influence that he spooked the All Blacks as well as running through them at will when England crushed the world champions in December 2012.

Manu Tuilagi's continued struggle for fitness is a problem for England and himself

That was the last time he played an autumn Test; he has missed the last two campaigns and now it has emerged that he may miss a second successive Six Nations due to a persisting groin problem.

His last championship start was against Wales in Cardiff in March 2013 and months later another injury limited his contribution to the Lions’ cause.

England had hoped to build their back line around the Anglo-Samoan force of nature, but that vision is proving sadly elusive. Tuilagi still has rough edges, but he breaks defences as few can.